Amid nationwide protests highlighting racial inequality, Colts linebacker Darius Leonard revealed a recent disturbing incident of his own.

The protests following George Floyd’s death have led to a nationwide effort by all races to emphasize the Black Lives Matter movement, and hopefully move forward to better the country.

While many encouraging stories point to those who are willing to turn a corner and acknowledge the injustices in their daily lives, there will always be the alternative view. A view which aims to limit opposing voices — specifically those with a skin color which does not mirror theirs.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard detailed his own story involving a recent trip to a South Carolina Chipotle.

Colts LB Darius Leonard revealed an incident of racial profiling on social media.

Leonard’s story, which ended with he and three other African-American men, and one woman of mixed race, being kicked out of a local restaurant is one heard far too often in some communities. Per Leonard, a white patron complained to management that the group was harassing him when that wasn’t the case.

There is no excuse for such alleged actions and we can only hope that upon hearing such uncomfortable experience from our African-American brothers and sisters, we use that anger and frustration as a positive to change the world we live in. For Leonard to voice his experience is also a positive change, as it shows we live in a society where such actions won’t be tolerated.

For Leonard, the most frustrating consequence of this experience was the understanding that the white patron, rather than a 24-year-old NFL player, was given the benefit of the doubt.

“We are tired of this,” Leonard said. “I’m telling you what I go through as a Black man in America. Ya’ll don’t understand what I go through.”

It’s these words, which African-Americans have voiced time and again on deaf ears, which cannot ring hollow this time around.

Chipotle said in a statement that they are investigating the incident.

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The Colts seem sure to frustrate fantasy owners with their running back deployment, but don’t dismiss the niche Nyheim Hines will occupy.

As a rookie in 2018, Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines had 63 receptions for 425 yards in pass-catching role. The offense slowed down and ran the ball more last year, as Jacoby Brissett replaced Andrew Luck, and Hines’ role dropped (32 percent snap share, 44 catches).

The Colts are destined to move back toward the pass this year with Philip Rivers under center. In 2018, with Luck as the quarterback of course, they were top-five offense in the league in pace and top-10 in pass percentage.

From Darren Sproles to Danny Woodhead to Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler, Rivers regularly peppered running backs with targets as the Chargers’ quarterback. In 2019, Ekeler had 92 receptions for 993 yards and eight touchdowns on 108 targets.

In comments to the Colts’ website, Hines expressed excitement for the opportunity that’s in front of him.

“Been waiting two or three years, just trying to catch balls and hopefully I get a little bit more opportunity. I’m going to try and earn that.”

“As a running back, we’re the safety valve,” Hines said. “I’ve always thought I was the safety valve that can take a five-yard dump and turn it into 50. That’s really what I’ve been planning on doing the last two years and hopefully show glimpses of it. I would love to do that this year and I think with Philip back there, there would be a great possibility of it.”

Nyheim Hines fills a fantasy niche that cannot be ignored

The Colts drafted Jonathan Taylor in the second round of the draft. But visions of a co-No. 1 situation with Marlon Mack are out there from offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. Mack is not going away, with over 900 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons and 17 total rushing scores in that span.

Colts head coach Frank Reich has spoken about Hines, calling him a “role-playing starter” and pointing to a back Reich had with the Chargers and Rivers.

“We used to say in San Diego that when we had Danny Woodhead. He was not our starter, he was our ‘role playing’ starter,” said Reich, who was the Chargers offensive coordinator from 2014-2015. “He played such a significant role. He had 80 catches in a year. You look at a guy like Nyehim Hines. We talk about Marlon and Jonathan, but what about Nyheim? He’s such a good third-down back that he’ll play a prominent (role).”

When fully healthy in the 2015 season Reich mentioned, Woodhead had 80 receptions (on 106 targets) for 755 yards and six touchdowns. In 2018, Hines had 81 targets (essentially five per game).

In terms of competition for targets out of the backfield, Hines won’t have much. Mack had 14 catches on 17 targets last year, and he has 52 catches in three NFL seasons. While Taylor had an expanded passing game early last year for Wisconsin, he ended up with 26 catches for the season.

A promise of a faster pace and better efficiency automatically brings the prospect of more opportunities for everyone in the Indianapolis offense this year. All three backs will have a role, with Taylor possibly usurping Mack at some point. But in terms of fantasy upside, and profit potential, Hines’ place in the rotation is clear and he’s a place to find PPR gold late in drafts.

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Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard doesn’t understand the pushback on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Players, coaches and general managers across the NFL have continued to speak out on the murder of George Floyd by police officers. Some teams and players have gotten it right, such as Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, while others like Drew Brees have yet to get the point of the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.

One such general manager that has recently spoken out on the racial injustice and rampant police brutality that impacts the black community is Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard. On Thursday, Ballard spoke at an unannounced media availability and for nearly 20 minutes, talked exclusively about the Black Lives Matter movement and the systemic racism that has affected the black community.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard gets real on racial injustice

Over the course of the conference, Ballard spoke on his own ignorance as a white man and that after having discussions with his team and his family, he listened and learned. Alongside that message was one of confusion for the white community, who Ballard said he doesn’t understand why it’s so hard for them to state that Black Lives Matter.

“But I cannot sit here and remain silent — because that’s exactly what we’ve done, every time our black community screams and yells for help,” Ballard said. “We have to end social injustices and racial inequalities. We have to end the police violence against our black communities. Black lives matter. I don’t know why that’s so freaking hard for the white community to say. Black lives matter.”

Contrast this message to the one that Brees made earlier in the week, in which he quibbled over players kneeling during the national anthem, stating that it is disrespectful to the flag, alongside the swift reaction to it. Many white NFL players, head coaches and general managers have a thing or two to learn from Ballard’s allyship.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 14: Reggie Wayne #87 of the Indianapolis Colts takes the field during player introductions before the game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 14, 2014, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the NFL’s most storied franchises so the competition for their all-time Mount Rushmore is intense.

When people talk about the most accomplished franchises in football history, the Indianapolis Colts don’t usually spring to mind. That is a mistake, especially when the franchise’s first iteration in Baltimore is taken into account.

The Baltimore Colts were founded in 1953 and became an immediate success story thanks to quickly discovering Johnny Unitas, who became one of the greatest quarterbacks who ever lived. The team won a trio of NFL championships prior to the AFL-NFL merger.

The period after Unitas’ retirement became a dark one for the Colts, who made the playoffs just once between 1978 and 1994, but things improved when the organization drafted Peyton Manning in 1998. Manning helped transform the Colts into a modern powerhouse, helping the franchise become a modern NFL powerhouse.

The Colts have had plenty of great players over the years, including some who didn’t make the cut like Reggie Wayne, Edgerrin James, Lenny Moore, Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan, Dwight Freeney and John Mackey. Who ended up making the Colts’ Mount Rushmore? Read on to find out.

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Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The Indianapolis Colts are much improved entering the 2020 season, but they need these five players to be great in order to win a division title.

The AFC South is a sneakily competitive division, but the Indianapolis Colts may well be the favorites. A strong offseason has made the Colts a significant threat in the division, which figures to be a three-team race between themselves, the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans.

Let’s take a look at five players who will need to step up their game for the Colts to take care of business, beginning with safety Malik Hooker.

5. S Malik Hooker

Indianapolis has a solid defense, but its one question mark is in the secondary. A big part of the unit’s issues lies with Malik Hooker, who has underachieved after being a first-round pick back in 2017.

Hooker’s fifth-year option was recently declined, so he will be playing for a contract in 2020. The Colts need to get the best out of Hooker as a steady presence in a secondary that underwent a bit of an overhaul.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 01: Jordan Wilkins #20 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 1, 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Tennessee defeats Indianapolis 31-17. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

The Indianapolis Colts have a new quarterback joining a talented roster, but how many games will they win in 2020 with Philip Rivers under center?

2019 was a roller coaster for the Indianapolis Colts, who saw Andrew Luck suddenly retire in the preseason before Jacoby Brissett got Indianapolis off to a hot start. Injuries and a slump from Brissett saw the Colts fade out of the playoff hunt, leading to a quarterback change this offseason.

Philip Rivers is now starting for Indy, and his presence should bolster a team that some pegged as a Super Bowl contender before Luck’s retirement. Let’s take a game-by-game look at the Colts’ 2020 schedule to see how they do this year.

Weeks 1-4

Final

Indianapolis Colts

27

Jacksonville Jaguars

10

Indianapolis takes care of business with ease, winning 27-10 in Jacksonville. Gardner Minshew is left to run for his life when the Jaguars’ offensive line can’t contain the Colts’ pass rush.

Final

Minnesota Vikings

27

Indianapolis Colts

20

Minnesota is a sneaky good team and they catch the Colts off guard in a 27-20 win. Indianapolis struggles to contain Dalvin Cook, who carries the Vikings’ offense in this game.

Final

New York Jets

17

Indianapolis Colts

21

The Jets are getting better and will keep this one close, but Indianapolis simply has more talent right now. The Colts win 21-17 as Philip Rivers takes advantage of a questionable New York secondary.

Final

Indianapolis Colts

20

Chicago Bears

24

Khalil Mack proves to be a royal terror in this game, harassing Philip Rivers to the tune of three sacks and a forced fumble. The Bears’ offense takes advantage of a few key Colts’ turnovers in a 24-20 win.

The post Indianapolis Colts 2020 schedule predictions: Picking every game appeared first on Bet Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts spent big this offseason to put a veteran under center. They look to finally make a leap towards contention after last year’s sudden retirement of Andrew Luck.

Last season, the Indianapolis Colts came into the 2019 offseason thinking they just had to make some tweaks to a roster with plenty of money to do so. Making some really good draft picks led to the Colts having great players at almost every position. Then, having Andrew Luck made them feel like they could achieve anything.

Unfortunately, he retired after one strange preseason game. The whole season was one long attempt to figure it out, and they ended up winning only seven games. It’s been a rough stretch for the Colts, who haven’t made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. Now, they hope signing Philip Rivers this offseason can get this franchise back on track.

Rivers is getting up there in age, so this is clearly a short-term solution, but it will help them when it comes to the 2020 season.

This is going to be an interesting season, with Rivers playing his first games away from the Chargers. The Colts have an interesting roster and a schedule that provides multiple marquee games. Having the NFC North on the schedule provides some really fun matchups for the Colts, then add in the Steelers, Raiders and Ravens for non-divisional games.

This is an important season for head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard. Reich’s in his third season leading the Colts, and Ballard is going into his fourth season as general manager. We don’t think their jobs are in jeopardy, but another bad season with a $25 million quarterback will certain raise some eyebrows.

With that being said, here is the Colts’ 2020 NFL schedule.

Indianapolis Colts 2020 NFL Schedule

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our schedule is finally here!
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— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 7, 2020

Next: 5 Must-Win Games For Houston Texans

The post Indianapolis Colts 2020 schedule release: Games, dates and times appeared first on Bet Sunday.

For a long stretch, the Indianapolis Colts had the best quarterbacks in the AFC South. Peyton Manning from about 1999 to his final season with the Colts in 2010. And then, Andrew Luck for five of his six years in the NFL.

In a division that has not had many teams with stable quarterback situations, the Houston Texans have had to cycle through several signal callers since 2010. Matt Schaub, when healthy, was the starter from about 2007-13. Ryan Fitzpatrick and Case Keenum got starts after Schaub.

Following the Schaub days; Tom Savage, Brock Osweiler and Brian Hoyer got the bulk of the starts. Then, in ’17, the Deshaun Watson era began.

With the Tennessee Titans, Marcus Mariota was the main starter from 2015-18. In the years before him, some names the Titans had to turn to were Jack Locker, Matt Hasselbeck, Zach Mettenberger and Fitzpatrick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars had David Garrard, as well as many other signal callers in the past 10 years. Since Garrard’s last season in 2010, the Jaguars have gone through players such as Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Blake Bortles, Cody Kessler, Nick Foles and now Gardner Minshew II.

Now, how does the division rank?

OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 15: Quarterback Gardner Minshew II #15 of the Jacksonville Jaguars sits on the bench during the first quarter against the Oakland Raiders at RingCentral Coliseum on December 15, 2019 in Oakland, California. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Oakland Raiders 20-16. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Gardner Minshew: 2019 – 3,271 yards, 21 Total TD, 6 INT.

Prior to last season, Nick Foles signed a lucrative contract to become the new starter for the Jaguars. He threw eight passes before getting injured in Week 1.

Gardner Minshew, a sixth-round pick who played college football at Washington State and East Carolina, came in and took the job from the injured Foles.

When Foles returned from injury, Minshew was benched for a couple of games before Doug Marrone gave him the starting role for the rest of the season.

At times, Minshew played well for the Jaguars. In his 12 starts, he went 6-6. He was steady for Marrone.

Minshew threw at least one touchdown in every start besides two. He also threw multiple interceptions in a single game once.

The 23-year old kept the Jaguars competitive and positioned the team to win. Foles has since gone to the Chicago Bears, meaning it is Minshew for the time being in Jacksonville.

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CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA – JANUARY 30: DeForest Buckner #99 of the San Francisco 49ers stretches during practice for Super Bowl LIV at the Greentree Practice Fields on the campus of the University of Miami on January 30, 2020 in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Indianapolis Colts once again earn high marks for their draft class after another strong rookie haul assembled by Chris Ballard.

The Indianapolis Colts were without a first-round pick this year after trading it to the San Francisco 49ers in a deal for defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. The 49ers ended up using that pick on defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw, so it will be easy to compare this (sort of) player-for-player swap over the years to see how both sides came out.

That said, the Colts are in win-now mode given the window that Philip Rivers provides them at quarterback, and Buckner has already proven his mettle at the highest level. He was foundational for the Niners resurgence in the NFC West, and his Super Bowl experience and consistently disruptive presence is going to give the Colts front line the leap they need to make it to the next level.

Kinlaw is going to be a nice young player for the 49ers, but the Colts needed someone who can make everyone around him better. A rising tide raises all ships so expect better overall production from younger players like Kemoko Turay and Ben Banogu.

The post Indianapolis Colts 2020 NFL Draft grades: Jonathan Taylor will shine appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Jacob Eason is a member of the Indianapolis Colts after his draft-day slide came to an end, and he could be their starting quarterback come 2021.

The Indianapolis Colts ended Jacob Eason’s wait to be selected in the 2020 NFL Draft and, despite being a fourth-round pick, he could be the starting quarterback as early as next year.

Eason has the prototypical size for the position and arguably the biggest arm in the entire class.

He displayed consistent accuracy during his impressive sole season with Washington after transferring from Georgia. However, he lacks the mobility to make plays with his legs and there was considerable concern over his decision-making.

By joining the Colts, he lands with an excellent mentor to help him iron out those issues in his game. The Colts signed Philip Rivers this offseason and, given the success he has enjoyed as a guslinger unafraid of throwing interceptions, Eason should greatly benefit from the former Charger’s tutelage.

It may be a short learning period for Eason. Rivers was only brought in on a one-year contract and it is not clear whether he will be in the league beyond the 2020 season.

Last year’s starter Jacoby Brissett is also a free agent in 2021 and Eason’s arrival will likely lead to talk of the ex-Patriot being traded to a quarterback-needy team.

Even after waiting until round four to hear his name called, Eason finds himself in a situation where he may be taking snaps under center come Week 1 of the 2021 season.

The Colts are a superb fit for the former Husky. In head coach Frank Reich they have one of the more talented offensive minds in the NFL and Eason will have the benefit of playing in a dome eight games a year.

Indianapolis has also assembled an intriguing supporting cast, with Michael Pittman — an imposing and athletically impressive physical presence on the outside — joining T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell in the Colts’ receiving corps.

The combination of Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack gives the Colts an extremely exciting running back duo to take the strain off the quarterback.

It was a long wait for the Eason but he has to be extremely satisfied with the end result. Eason has a clear path to starting early in his career and, should he take over as QB1, will do so with a supporting cast set up to have him succeed.

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